Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam Launches Major International Mummy Portrait Research and Exhibition
The Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam has initiated a significant international research project focusing on twelve ancient mummy portraits. This ambitious study will shed new light on the artistic techniques and materials used in these unique historical artifacts, culminating in an exhibition set to open in October 2023.
Unveiling Ancient Faces: The "Face to Face" Exhibition
Visitors to the Allard Pierson Museum will have the opportunity to explore "Face to Face: The People Behind the Mummy Portraits," an exhibition beginning October 6, 2023. This marks the first time that Ancient Egyptian mummy portraits will be showcased in the Netherlands. The exhibition will feature the twelve portraits central to the new research, alongside an additional twenty specimens, offering a comprehensive look at these remarkable works.
Mummy portraits, typically depicting the head and shoulders, were painted on wooden panels and placed over the faces of mummified individuals in Roman-era Egypt, dating from the first to the fourth centuries AD. They represent some of the earliest known examples of realistic portraiture, with approximately 1,100 such works existing worldwide, including five within the Allard Pierson's own collection.
Advanced Research into Ancient Art
The primary goal of this international research is to deepen understanding of how these portraits were created and the specific materials employed by their ancient artists. While historically studied from art-historical and cultural perspectives, recent decades have seen growing interest in the technical aspects of their production. This research can reveal insights into the origins of wood and pigments, any alterations made to the portraits over time, and crucially, more about the individuals they depict.
A key aspect of the study is its use of various non-invasive analysis techniques, ensuring that the mummy portraits remain untouched and no sampling is required. The research, which began in April, is a collaborative effort between the Allard Pierson, the Netherlands Institute for Conservation+Art+Science+ (NICAS), and the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. It involves detailed analyses of paint layers, pigments, and other materials on and beneath the surface of the portraits.
The exhibition itself will integrate current knowledge of mummy portraiture with preliminary findings from this ongoing material and technical research, which is scheduled to continue until June 2024. The Allard Pierson is collaborating with numerous research partners across Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, and draws upon the collective expertise of around fifty international museum partners within the Ancient Panel Paintings: Examination, Analysis and Research project (APPEAR) network, coordinated by the J. Paul Getty Museum. Specific partners in this project include Museum August Kestner in Hannover, Musée Royal de Mariemont in Morlanwelz, Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen in Mannheim, and the Ägyptische Sammlung HCCH der Universität Heidelberg.
This project underscores the Allard Pierson Museum's commitment to advancing cultural understanding through cutting-edge research, offering visitors in Amsterdam a unique window into ancient history and art. To discover more cultural experiences and museums in Amsterdam and beyond, explore Musemap (musemap.art) or browse other museums in your area, or view them on our interactive map.
